From Power Comes Greed
by Baby Darth Dalloway
Summary: After the events of the Festival, everybody needs to heal. Unfortunately, Shizuru and Reito don't feel capable of doing so in Fuuka. After going abroad, 6 years have passed when they find themselves back in Japan upon uncovering a deadly plot motivated by greed and the power of the Hime. They must also confront the loved ones they left behind. ShizNat, Harukino, Reito/Mai R&R!


**Prologue**

"I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)"

* * *

_6 years earlier…_

"Were you even planning on telling me!"

"Of course I was Natsuki. I admit, it would be easier to just…go. But I wouldn't just abandon you without notice. I didn't realize Haruka even knew-"

"Yukino said one of your business professors mentioned it to her! If it weren't for Yukino telling her to let me confront you, she'd be the one jumping down your throat right now! Maybe I should let her!"

"I planned to tell all of you, I swear. I wanted to make sure the transfer was approved first-"

"Of course it would be approved Shizuru! You weren't ranked number one in your first semester because of your _lack_ of studiousness! You've had months to prepare for this, and I just find out now! I mean… dammit!"

Natsuki turned away from Shizuru, incapable of forming words, her anger palpable. Shizuru noticed the younger girl's fists clenched in rage. This was not the way she planned to tell her about the transfer, 7 o'clock on a Tuesday night while in her robe at the college dormitory. The love of her life had only just found out an hour earlier about her acceptance for transfer out of Fuuka U when Yukino accompanied Haruka to drop something off to a professor before their weekly dinner. The professor teased Haruka about not having her best friend and rival around any longer to push her. Before Haruka could make it to the dorms to rip Shizuru a new one herself, Yukino begged her to let her tell Natsuki so that she may handle it, hoping secretly the bluenette already knew. As she sadly predicted, that had not been the case. Truthfully, Shizuru had been at a loss for how to even broach such a subject with the girl, knowing full well she would not respond in anything less than rage.

"Natsuki, this isn't to hurt you. This isn't about hurting anyone. You must understand what it's been like staying here after everything that transpired…after everything I did."

"I thought we were past that! You made up with Haruka. Yukino even forgave you! Sure, people like Nao are still jerks about it, but things have been fine-"

"Things have NOT been fine!"

Natsuki turned around in shock, her blue hair whipping around and her emerald eyes going wide. In the months after the Hime Festival, she had never once heard Shizuru raise her voice, let alone look like _that_. Natsuki just stared at her girlfriend, her black robe covering her body and her hair in a bun. Shizuru seemed calm and poised when they began discussing, or in her case yelling, but her face finally revealed her fatigue. Natsuki noticed the subtle blue circles under the older woman's eyes and even the pallor of her skin seemed off. It was as if she was finally seeing the girl for who she was since the Festival.

Shizuru had hoped she could keep it together, but it wasn't possible with Natsuki. It never seemed to be. While the bluenette had kept herself busy with school, her new friends and Shizuru since the Hime Festival, Shizuru had remained lost in her own head and more importantly, her own guilt. Natsuki wasn't the one who committed such atrocities, and while she had continually reassured Shizuru that everything was forgiven, Shizuru realized over time that the forgiveness she needed was something different entirely.

Of everyone involved, Reito and herself were the two most vicious participants in the Hime fiasco, Alyssa not included. The two friends had been lucky their relationship was established before the events took place, because out of everyone else they knew, they could only find solace in confiding with one another. No one understood the darkness they experienced, and it was troubling to be surrounded by not only the people who witnessed their wrath and insanity, but also experienced it first hand. Staying in Fuuka had driven them both into depression and desperation.

"Shizuru…" Natsuki began but felt at a loss. The look coming from those blood red eyes was one of anguish, something Natsuki was getting lost in and only more confused by. She thought they had been happy. She uncurled her fists in disbelief and shock, trying to understand what was going on in Shizuru's mind.

"Shizuru," she began again, walking slowly towards her most precious person. "What is going on? I thought…I thought we had moved on, I thought things were okay. I mean I know we're moving at a slow pace together, but you said it was okay for me to take my time. I-"

"That's not it Natsuki," Shizuru said cutting her off. She untangled her crossed arms and side stepped the young girls disbelieving face. Shizuru just looked towards the window as she walked closer to it, looking outside with saddened eyes. "That's not it at all."

"Well then what is it? Why do you think going to college in America is going to make things better?"

Shizuru closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Where could she even begin? She knew early on when they began taking their relationship further that it would be a slow process. She was ecstatic that Natsuki had even felt they had a chance at something romantic, let alone that the girl had remained her friend. Being patient with their relationship was never the problem. Shizuru knew that she herself was the problem.

While people like Natsuki, Mai, Mikoto, Midori, Yukino, you name it, seemed to move on from the festival, Shizuru could not escape it. She and Reito both felt like monsters. Reito himself claimed one could become a demon for their loved one, and Shizuru had even stated in her fight with Yukino that people could get away with anything if it were for the sake of the person they loved. Reito and Shizuru both realized soon after the Festival that they were unlike the others. They were selfish.

Natsuki didn't have remorse like Shizuru did, and Shizuru had tried to pretend everything was fine. The Festival had ended. Everyone had returned to life. She even got the girl that was the object of her obsession for so long. But still… even with the forgiveness of people like Haruka and Yukino, it didn't absolve her. After a few months, she began to realize that the Festival was haunting her and happiness was not something she could find so easily like everyone around her had seemed to.

While Natsuki often got upset or began to have arguments with Nao, Shizuru didn't blame the younger girl at all. In fact, she thought Nao was the only one being realistic. Shizuru had completely lost it during the festival. She harmed Yukino and was responsible for Haruka's death. Shizuru had no clue at the time that they would all return to life, and so ending Haruka's existence was something she believed would be permanent. It was equivalent to murder, and an unnecessary one at that. Nao would have faced a similar fate if Natsuki had not interfered. Nao saw Shizuru for what she really was during the Festival; a murderer.

As the other Hime had conspired in an attempt to alter their destinies, Shizuru was only interested in one thing; claiming her love and protecting her against anything. As romantic a notion as it may seem to others, it was the thing that dehumanized her. Shizuru told Reito that she had become a demon for Natsuki, and could not forgive herself for it. She saw that Natsuki was different from her, and that made Shizuru bitter. She knew deep down that Natsuki would forgive her because she was a decent person. Still, that didn't mean Shizuru was worthy of her.

Natsuki had told Mai during the Festival that she had no one close to her, and therefore she had nothing to worry about. But even those words were a lie. Not only did she combat and defeat the person who ended up being closest to her, but she also sacrificed her own life in doing so. Natsuki was selfless, the opposite of Shizuru, a true hero to compliment a true villain. Shizuru could not live with herself knowing how amazing Natsuki was when she was willing to do the complete opposite. It was unbearable.

Tears started flooding Shizuru's eyes, and she realized there was nothing she could say to explain the regret and shame in her heart. She had wanted to leave, but didn't know how she could. It had been Reito who mentioned his acceptance to school in New York City, and if Shizuru wanted to join him, she was more than welcome. He hoped that they could heal together and find who they really were outside of Fuuka and the false identities they had created in their pursuits while residing there. Shizuru didn't need any persuasion. She just needed to get accepted, and as of today, she had.

Her delicate hand wiped her eyes as she began turning from the window. She looked at Natsuki and let her weariness be seen. She was so tired of the masks and the deception. She was tired of pretending everything was fine.

"Natsuki… I can't stay here any longer."

It wasn't a question. It wasn't even an attempt at persuasion. Shizuru stated the truth and Natsuki could see the sadness in her eyes. She knew the older girl was serious and that this wasn't a game or some desperate action. Shizuru was firm and had thought this through, and that realization made Natsuki's breath catch. She turned her face to look away and tears began to come to her eyes. She opened her mouth, her jaw locked and unable to form words as she slowly shook her head. How had she missed this?

She tried to think back over the past months from summer into fall and now winter with the end of the semester. The karaoke parties, the beach dates, everything had seemed okay. Shizuru had seemed like her typical self, teasing and bubbly.

Her eyes widened as she realized it. That _was_ the problem. Shizuru had not acted any differently. Natsuki knew that she had changed, opening up to Mai, accepting her feelings for Shizuru, and even kindly informing Takeda she was not interested. She had opened up, focused on school and gave thought to what she wanted to be when she eventually left Fuuka. Natsuki's demeanor had changed. Her dreams had changed. But now as she thought back on everything, this was probably the first time she had seen Shizuru's remorse since that night in the chapel… or that night at the house…

She shook her head more violently this time, attempting to erase it from memory. She didn't want to think about those nights, especially the one where Yukino and Haruka appeared. Shizuru's face, her expressions, her lack of care and blatant delirium were all too much to handle.

"You see, Natsuki?"

Natsuki whipped her head back towards the brunette. Shizuru just had a sad but knowing smile on her face.

"Even now, you can't bring yourself to think of any of it, can you?"

Shizuru could always read her like a book. It was wonderful when she had a hard time articulating her feelings, which was often, but a curse when in situations like this when she didn't want the older girl knowing exactly what she was thinking. She blinked and it caused her watery eyes to produce a few tears.

"Shizuru…"

The girl's smile got slightly bigger as she strode slowly towards Natsuki. She wrapped her arms around the girls waste and pulled her in gently.

"It's okay, Natsuki."

The mentioned girl choked on her own breath and the tears started flowing harder as she felt Shizuru hold her. She had been right. Shizuru was always right it seemed. Natsuki had never brought up that night. She was too scared to ever bring it up and ask Shizuru outright what she had done to her when Yukino had been watching. Part of her didn't want to know.

She started crying harder, her tough demeanor completely collapsing as she realized that things were not fine, just like Shizuru had screamed. Her hands went to her face and Shizuru just pulled her tighter.

"I love you Natsuki…so much… but we can't sit here and pretend like everything is okay and that you and I have moved on. What I did during the Festival was unacceptable, even under the circumstances. You know that as well as I do."

Natsuki just shook her head into the girls shoulder as her arms wrapped around the other girl, Shizuru breathing out and letting a few tears of her own escape as she stroked the back of the younger girls head, attempting to sooth her.

"I'm not going alone, love. Reito will be with me. We both feel we need to find who we are… for so long we pretended to be people we never really were, and now we have to take responsibility for who we actually are…and also take responsibility for what we did."

Shizuru glanced upwards to try and stop the tears, but they didn't seem to want to stop at the moment. As painful as this was, it felt good. For the first time in her life, she willingly wasn't hiding anymore. Natsuki attempted to get her breathing under control, completely unprepared for the torrent of grief that had been repressed. She didn't want to ask, but she knew she had to. That was where the other part of her fear stemmed from in not asking Shizuru about that night. She knew it wasn't just about what had actually taken place. It was about the fact that it would drive them apart.

"Wh-what…," she whispered. "What about us?"

Shizuru took a shaky breath herself, still brushing the younger girls hair gently.

"We need to be apart Natsuki," she began, not wanting to say another word but knowing it's what they both needed. "I need to find a way to put this behind me. I need to figure out who I am and forgive myself. I need to know that that monster of a girl who came out during the Festival isn't still lurking inside of me. I need to grow Natsuki, and you… you need to find it in your heart to truly forgive me… to truly trust me once again. To be able to look at me and want to know what's really on my mind without being fearful of what you may see."

Natsuki's eyes widened again. That was the second time this night that Shizuru had read her like a book. It was true. Natsuki hadn't noticed Shizuru's pain partly because she was fearful of what she would find behind her smiling, always perfect, façade. Shizuru did have a darkness in her that was unleashed in the Festival, and as much as Natsuki loved her, she had been afraid to look any further than what Shizuru put out in front for her to see. This entire time, she had been willingly blind; blind to her girlfriend's shattered soul and blind to the past that had gotten them to this point. Natsuki had been in complete denial.

"That's why you told me to lay off of Nao, isn't it?" she asked.

Shizuru smiled softly into the girls shoulder.

"She was willing to see my actions for what they were. Out of everyone, it felt like she was the only person on the same page as me, aside from Reito."

Natsuki nodded into her shoulder, her tears halted for the time being. She didn't want to let go. She knew what would happen as soon as she did. Once she left this room, she had no doubts it would be the last time she saw Shizuru for a good long while. The only question remaining was how long was a while.

"How long, Shizuru?"

Shizuru took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She wanted to remember this moment exactly; the smell of her loved one, the warmth of her embrace, their hearts beating. She wanted every detail committed to memory, because deep down she didn't believe there would be an 'again' for them. She just didn't have the heart to tell Natsuki this.

"I don't know... I was accepted to a prestigious business school in New York City, the same one as Reito. I expect to graduate from there. This is as far as I've planned."

Natsuki calculated less than 4 years in her head. She'll be in college herself by then. Maybe she could even start anew together with Shizuru. There was always hope. Shizuru could practically feel her lover's thoughts, and this was why she knew deep down she couldn't make plans. Natsuki was already preparing and planning, and that wouldn't do. Shizuru knew the girl would only forgive and forget when there wasn't a possibility of them getting back together. She wanted Natsuki to face everything without thinking of a reunion. She needed to be unbiased in her introspection because Shizuru wanted her to love her because there was nobody else she thought she could be with. She didn't want the girl to draw a conclusion where she was forced to forgive her because there would definitely be a reunion. There was the possibility that she could never forgive or trust Shizuru again, and this was why she had to let her go… _really_, let her go.

Shizuru took another big breath and silently vowed this would be her last lie. She never wanted to deceive Natsuki again. She hoped she would never have to. She slowly began to pull from Natsuki, her soft smile and tear stained face looking at the younger girl. Natsuki's tears began flowing again and she couldn't force herself to look up. Shizuru gladly did the work for her, bringing her lithe hands up to cup her face, her thumbs softly brushing away tears while urging her to look at her. Natsuki took a deep breath again and forced her gaze to meet Shizuru's and this time she only saw love, a sad love, coming from her eyes. This was it. This was the moment where the sad reality of the Hime Festival was acknowledged, and Natsuki wondered briefly if this would be the last time she ever saw Shizuru.

"Everything will be okay Natsuki. You have Mai and Yukino, even Nao and Mikoto. There are people here who love you and care about you. Whatever else is meant to happen…it will follow."

Natsuki knew Shizuru was trying to make this okay for them, but it would never be okay. Even though she was right about them both needing to heal, it still seemed so unfair. After everything they had lost and gone through, why couldn't the end have been simple? She didn't understand.

Shizuru was searching her eyes as Natsuki got lost in thought. She closed them suddenly and reopened them with a bitterness she had hoped would never arise. The Festival had ruined so much. It just wasn't fair that this would be ruined too.

Shizuru could see the hardness in her gaze and wished she could alleviate it, but it wasn't her job any longer, not as of tonight. She went and kissed Natsuki's forehead, holding it briefly.

"It's getting late Natsuki," she whispered, bringing her face back down to see the girls shut eyes. Shizuru let her hands drop, placing them on Natsuki's sides. The other girl opened her eyes slowly and for the second time in their relationship, shocked Shizuru with a kiss. This one was longer however, and full of unsaid emotions like rage and longing, fear and passion. She didn't want to let go, but this was something she had no choice in.

Natsuki pulled away and placed her forehead on Shizuru's, her arms drifting down to the other woman's sides. She took several breaths before whispering out.

"Goodbye, Shizuru."

As soon she said it, Natsuki pulled away, grabbed her helmet and didn't look back. Shizuru watched her exit and only after the door closed did she respond softly.

"Goodbye, Natsuki."

* * *

Hello Everyone! Thank you for reading if you have made it this far. This story is going to be a multi-chapter fic, I think reaching about 20 chapters in total. It's a post-Hime fic that's going to delve into the healing process after everything that took place in the anime. I read the manga but hated it and so my main inspiration comes from watching the anime (and reading a few of the extras produced after). So the anime is going to be my main reference point (but I'm still a human and therefore fallible, so I apologize for any mistakes I make in advance!).

It's going to be a ShizNat focused fic if you couldn't tell from the prologue. There will also end up being some Reito and Mai along with Harukino. I plan to do a stand-alone Harukino fic to give their backstory because their healing process won't be heavily focused upon in this story, but they will be an already established couple. Mai and Reito will develop over time. Mikoto is kind of Mai's soul mate to me, but I also feel like you can have friend/ companion soul mates, so while Mai/ Reito will develop romantically, Mikoto is definitely still present and a top priority in her life.

Let's see. Heavy Shizuru/ Reito/ Haruka friendships, along with heavy Natsuki/ Mai/ Yukino friendships as well. Some other characters will be making appearances/ be heavily involved, but you'll have to wait and see for that! ^_^

All in all, this is my attempt to develop the characters after the events of the anime in a realistic way, not just focusing on the characters journeys but also the actions of the corporations that were involved in the overall Hime plot. There will be action, there will be romance, and hopefully realistic character development. I hope you all enjoy! Until next time ~


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